GOP focuses on Pritzker at state fair event

“J.B. Pritzker owns the highest taxes in America. J.B. Pritzker owns the soaring utility bills. He owns these taxes, he owns these tolls, the fees that we are taking more from working families every day,” Bailey said.

The Pritzker campaign appeared outside of the event in the form of multiple inflatable dinosaur costumes, holding signs reading “dinosaurs against Darren Bailey.”

The stunt is a rehashing of a criticism from the candidates’ last race – when Pritzker criticized Bailey for the curriculum taught at his school which critics say teaches humans and dinosaurs coexisted.

Some GOP candidates took swings at other top Democrat officials, such as Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.

Republican Senate candidate Don Tracy, who faces Stratton in November, said his opponent wasn’t campaigning against him.

“My opponent, not only does not mention my name, she does not – well has refused to debate and she refused to show up to the Illinois Farm Bureau legislative round table about a week ago,” Tracy said. “She is afraid, I think, to debate me and show up with me because I will expose just how much of a Democrat Socialist that she is.”

The Center Square informed Tracy that Stratton said she’d committed to a debate in roughly the same place he stood one day earlier, which he said he was glad to hear.

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie said there were many reasons she thinks Welch should be removed from his leadership role.

“We're the only caucus that represents all of the 102 counties. We have a variety of different education, job experience, life experience. We should be included in those conversations,” McCombie said. “He doesn't want bipartisan support. He doesn't want collaboration. And that's another reason he should be gone as speaker.”

McCombie said the decision will still fall at the feet of House Democrats whether they want to see a leadership change – which likely wouldn't happen until the start of the next legislative session in January.

Candidates mostly strayed from speaking directly to the policies of President Donald Trump and working with him if they were elected, aside from Illinois Republican Party Chairman Bob Grogan, who referenced maintaining a U.S. House Majority.

“Any one of them could end up making a difference between us being able to continue putting forward a America first agenda and freedom, versus whatever the other side’s offering with their purple hair and Communist talking points,” Grogan said.